MP for Mzimba Luwelezi, Dr Bofomo Nyirenda, says the land in Mzimba does not belong to Malawi Government as the new Land Act states, but to the people of the district who he argues are not part of Malawi but just development partners.
Nyirenda initially raised the issue in Parliament on Friday as part of debate on the Land Bill.
His concern was brushed aside as not serious by leader of the House Henry Phoya.
But Nyirenda did not take the issue lightly. He visited Nation Publications Limited (NPL) offices in the capital, Lilongwe where he reiterated his stand.
He said the law is wrong to stipulate that all land in the country belongs to the State.
“Mzimba is part of Malawi by mistake…M’mbelwa Administrative Council was an independent kingdom neighbouring Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Nyasaland was colonised in 1895 by the British and Mzimba was not.
“Mzimba was persuaded by the Queen to work as development partners with Nyasaland…and it was agreed that Mzimba would reclaim its independence from Britain after enough people from there were educated,” wrote Nyirenda in a speech addressed to Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda.
Nyirenda claimed that before Mzimba could get independent, former president Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda persuaded the then chief, Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa II, to help him fight the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and was told that afterwards Mzimba would get independence, failing which M’mbelwa would become king of the Republic of Malawi and Banda would be his prime minister.
“In fact…the name of this country should have been ‘Republic of Malawi + Mbelwa Kingdom’ because Mzimba is only a partner in development. Hence, the land of Mzimba belongs to M’mbelwa and his chiefs and their subjects and not to the Republic of Malawi,” claimed Nyirenda.
